Celebrating Neighborhood Volunteers and Reaching New Neighborhoods

Celebrating Neighborhood Volunteers and Reaching New Neighborhoods

On July 17th, over 27 neighborhoods were represented as Muncie community members came together for a night of celebration at Tuhey Pool. Muncie Action Plan, Shafer Leadership Academy, and Ball State University’s Office of Community Engagement teamed up to make the free pool party a success.

During the evening, “Neighborhood Bingo” cards were passed around to help people learn more about each other. These bingo cards contained blank spaces prompting, “was born in Muncie,” “is a member of a different Neighborhood Association than yours,” and “graduated from Central High School.”

Completed bingo cards could be redeemed for raffle tickets. The raffle prizes included gift certificates from Vera Mae’s Bistro, Murray’s Jewelers, and Kirk’s Bike Shop, a Hayloft handmade purse, and various articles of clothing from the Fickle Peach.

The mission of Task Force 2 is to help foster collaboration and grow strong neighborhood associations across Muncie.

Aimee Fant, MAP’s Neighborhood Coordinator, points out, “This pool party was a celebration of the work of all the volunteer leaders within our neighborhoods.” Most people working at the neighborhood level are volunteering their time. According to Fant, an evening of celebration allows MAP to acknowledge and thank neighborhood volunteers.

Several of the attendees represented neighborhoods which have had little or no registered engagement with MAP prior to this event. Engaging new groups and individuals is an important part of MAP’s vision to strengthen the Muncie community.

Prior to the event, Neighborhood Associations were invited to apply for funding for neighborhood improvement projects, and winning applications were announced during the pool party. Stay tuned to see these projects carried out in local neighborhoods!